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Google Inc. is now aligned with the notorious ALEC.
Quietly, Google has joined ALEC -- the American Legislative Exchange
Council -- the shadowy corporate alliance that pushes odious laws
through state legislatures.
In the process, Google has signed onto an organization that promotes
such regressive measures as tax cuts for tobacco companies, school
privatization to help for-profit education firms, repeal of state taxes
for the wealthy and opposition to renewable energy disliked by oil
companies.
ALEC’s reactionary efforts -- thoroughly documented [1] by the
Center for Media and Democracy -- are shameful assaults on democratic
principles. And Google is now among the hundreds of companies in ALEC
[2]. Many people who’ve admired Google are now wondering: how could
this be?
Well, in his recent book “Digital Disconnect: How Capitalism Is
Turning the Internet Against Democracy,” Robert W. McChesney provides
vital context. “It is true that with the advent of the Internet many
of the successful giants -- Apple and Google come to mind -- were begun
by idealists who may have been uncertain whether they really wanted to
be old-fashioned capitalists,” he writes. “The system in short order
has whipped them into shape.”
McChesney adds: “Any qualms about privacy, commercialism, avoiding
taxes, or paying low wages to Third World factory workers were quickly
forgotten. It is not that the managers are particularly bad and greedy
people -- indeed their individual moral makeup is mostly irrelevant --
but rather that the system sharply rewards some types of behavior and
penalizes other types of behavior so that people either get with the
program and internalize the necessary values or they fail.”
Google has widely mythologized itself as some kind of humanistic
techno-pioneer. Obscured in a fog of digital legend is the agenda that
more than ever is transfixed with maximizing profits while capitalizing
on anti-democratic leverage of corporate power. Google’s involvement
in ALEC is consistent with the company’s mega-business model that
relentlessly exploits rigorous data-mining of emails, online searches
and so much more.
Yet image-conscious companies can be skittish about public pressure.
That helps to explain why dozens of firms withdrew [3] from ALEC
during the last year.
A few days ago -- when my colleagues at RootsAction.org sent out an
email alert [4] about news of ALEC’s connection with Google as well
as with Facebook and Yelp -- more than 25,000 people quickly signed a
petition urging those companies to “stop funding ALEC.” Several
thousand of the petition signers added comments that can be read online
along with the petition [5].
Those comments reflect widening comprehension of Google and the
significance of its alignment with ALEC. Here’s a sampling:
“I expected better. Maybe that was naive.” _James C., San Jose,
CA_
“What happened to your big pledge? ‘Don't be evil’? Guess it was
just words...” _Lois W., Sun City, AZ_
“Better check your definition of EVIL -- look it up on
Google…” _Armando A., Vista, CA_
“Please don't fund tyranny. You were supposed to be one of the good
guys.” _Ernest W., Easthampton, MA_
“Your credibility is fading associating with this kind of
scum.” _John B., Easton, CT_
“You are subverting the wishes of your clients/users while
undermining democracy.” _Vincent G., Sioux Falls, SD_
“Shame on you. Think about what the majority of your users want
instead of the ‘rich’ guys.” _Karen B., Westminster, CO_
“If you continue to support ALEC, I will along with countless others,
discontinue use of ALL your products and services!” _Ronald P.,
Milford Center, OH_
“Quit helping to Destroy our democracy.” _Kevin B., Lynnwood,
WA_
“Corporate power is corrupting this nation's ability to have a
decent governing system.” _Jean and Jesper C., Louisville, KY_
“What is wrong with Google acting like the one tenth of the 1%? Too
much filthy lucre has covered their conscience.” _Doug Y., Albany,
CA_
“Google! How could you do this? Don't you realize this organization
stands for ALL the wrong things? I'm sure most of your employees would
not want to belong to ALEC. Please reconsider for their sake and that of
all of us.” _Judith S., Carbondale, IL_
“If you sleep with dogs, you get fleas.” _Robert J., Fern Park,
FL_
“Shame! We thought you were supposed to be a tool for the people, not
a tool for the corporations!” _Sharon T., Irvine, CA_
“Happy Sociopath Day to you people!” _Gary S., Big Bear Lake, CA_
“Google has evolved to be one of the most unethical corporations in
the world!” _Eric K., Montclair, NJ_
“This is so obviously evil, and it causes real
suffering.” _Terrell S., Seattle, WA_
“Don't you corporate executives make enough money? How much can you
spend? Don't you realize that people have to have money to buy your
product? What the heck are you ‘dumb-asses’ thinking?” _Lon K.,
Waterloo, IA_
“Good companies are becoming evil in order to please ALEC and the
upper 1%. I thought Google would never need to stoop to that. I'm sadder
than sad.” _Linda A., Medina, WA_
“ALEC promotes corporate dominance over the democratic processes that
our country was founded on. Shame on you!” _Judy D., Port Townsend,
WA_
“Laws should be written by elected representatives with citizen input,
NOT by cookie-cuttered legalese templates created by and for the
corporate interests.” _Liz A., Los Angeles, CA_
“Noooooo Google! I love you but I will have to abandon you and many of
your products should you do this. I really, really, really don’t want
to do that! But will...” _Rochelle W., Reading, PA_
“ALEC organizes capital to crush people by gaining any all benefits
for the wealthy. That has consequences for children, elderly, disabled,
veterans, working people -- your customers. Please look beyond the
near-term bottomline.” _Benita C., Burgettstown, PA_
“Greed may be the worst terror facing this country. Greed, of
corporations and some individuals, seems bent on destroying our
democracy. We have to fight back!” _Anne G., Arlington, TX_
“ALEC is evil. Those who fund ALEC are enabling evil. Enough
said.” _Monty N., Helena, MT_
“Google: Better get your house in order and your priorities straight.
Average Americans are in no mood for this crap.” _Lawrence H., Fall
Creek, WI_
“For a company that loves to talk about the forward thinking way it
treats employees, it surely seems acts just like every other ultra
conservative corporate giant.” _Andrew W., Pittsfield, MA_
“Why such cowardice?” _Mitchell S., Philadelphia, PA_
“I knew the Don't Be Evil mantra would disappear once the big money
started flowing in. They're no different than any other sleazy
money-grubbing corporation in the cesspool of greed the USA has
become.” _Gill F., Olympia, WA_
“Disgusting professional activity on the part of this huge corrupt
business. Google is going to have to do a lot of work to earn back the
respect of a huge segment of the public; this only one of many recent
revelations about Google's despicable conduct as an entity.” _Susan
H., Lafayette, IN_
“Big money, big business, big lies.” _Stephen D., Grants Pass,
OR_
“Please stand for individual's freedom rather than corporate greed
and stop supporting ALEC.” _Carol B., San Rafael, CA_
“Your company went from hip and caring to right of Attila the Hun and
nasty in a few years...” _Roger W., Montpelier, VT_
“ALEC has been a disaster for the vast majority of citizens in
Wisconsin and other states. It has become a leading supporter of fascist
attacks on women's sacred reproductive rights.” _Edith M.,
Milwaukee, WI_
“ALEC has done tremendous harm to this country and its political
system. Any support for the organization is support for tearing down
constitutional government.” _James F., Minneapolis, MN_
“Just provide a service and take home your inflated paycheck. Stay out
of the rest. And by the way, erase my browsing history, you nosey
anti-American hacks.” _Jeff Cole, Tucson, AZ_
“If Google and Facebook have any integrity left, please prove it by
not funding ALEC!” _Douglas W., Chicago, IL_
“ALEC is trying to dismantle our civil society. Do not be part of
it.” _Jean Beck, Lynnwood, WA_
“Have a heart!!!!!!” _Artalious S., McDonough GA_
“ALEC is a big step backwards in human evolution, or a big step toward
Big Brother.” _Victoria G., Portland, OR_
“Disgusting. More government for the highest bidders.” _Michael
P., Morton Grove, IL_
“The worst thing about ALEC is its anti-democratic nature which buys
votes to override the will of the people. As an information source this
should violate your principles.” _Lon H., Ferndale, MI_
“When you are as giant as Google, you ALMOST have stomp on us little
people. Please please please be with US…” _Jon S., Lafayette, CO_
“This is indicative of what happens when the founders of a company
grow extremely wealthy. They align themselves more and more with the
organizations that will further their agenda of market dominance and
profit taking. The support of ALEC by the two founders of Google is
particularly hypocritical because of their original pledge to not be
evil. Shame on both of you.” _Bruce B., Port Townsend, WA_
__________________________________________
Norman Solomon is co-founder of RootsAction.org and founding director of
the Institute for Public Accuracy. His books include “War Made Easy:
How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death.”
